Gunmen Kill Nigerian Peacekeeper

A Nigerian peacekeeper with the United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), has been reported killed in an ambush in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region.

A UNAMID statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the UN headquarters in New York, stated that the deceased who was on patrol with his colleagues, were ambushed by an unidentified armed group, near Saleah in Eastern Darfur.

It said that three other peacekeepers were also wounded in the incident.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon in a statement condemned the attack and urged the Government in Kartoum to carry out a speedy investigation and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

He expressed his condolences to the Government of Nigeria and to the family of the peacekeeper.

In his reaction, the Joint Special Representative of UNAMID, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, also condemned the attack describing it as a war crime.

Thirty-Five peacekeepers have died in action since the deployment of UNAMID on Dec. 31, 2007.